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Americans Still Eat Too Much Salt: CDC

New strategies needed to reduce risk of high blood pressure, experts say

WebMD News from HealthDay

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By Steven Reinberg

HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, Dec. 19 (HealthDay News) -- Americans' love of salt has continued unabated in the 21st century, putting people at risk for high blood pressure, the leading cause of heart attack and stroke, U.S. health officials said Thursday.

In 2010, more than 90 percent of U.S. teenagers and adults consumed more than the recommended levels of salt -- about the same number as in 2003, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported.

"Salt intake in the U.S. has changed very little in the last decade," said CDC medical officer and report co-author Dr. Niu Tian.

And despite a slight drop in salt consumption among kids younger than 13, the researchers found 80 percent to 90 percent of kids still consume more than the amount recommended by the Institute of Medicine.

"There are many organizations that are focused on reducing dietary salt intake," said Dr. Gregg Fonarow, a spokesman for the American Heart Association and a professor of cardiology at the University of California, Los Angeles.

"More effective efforts are needed if the prevalence of excess dietary salt intake is to be reduced," Fonarow said.

The CDC has suggested coupling salt-reduction efforts with the war on obesity as a way to fight both problems at the same time. New school food guidelines might also be warranted, the report suggested.

Samantha Heller, a senior clinical nutritionist at the NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City, said reducing dietary salt is essential for both adults and children.

"What is so distressing is that this report indicates that eight out of 10 kids aged 1 to 3 years old, and nine out of 10 over 4 years old, are eating too much salt and are at risk for high blood pressure," she said.

Most of this salt comes from processed foods and restaurant meals, not the salt shaker on the table, Heller said.

That means it's likely that much of the food these children eat is fast food, junk food and processed food, she said. "This translates into a high-salt, high-fat and high-sugar diet that can lead to a number of serious health problems down the road," she said.